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Juftifying Faith; the Causes, Object, and Nature of it, declared.

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'HE mean of Juftification on our part is Faith. This is fo frequently and exprefsly affirmed in Scripture, that it cannot, in direct terms, be denied. We shall therefore confider, 1. Its nature; and, 2. Its ufe in our Juftification.

The Scripture mentions a twofold faith, whereby men believe the Gofpel. There is a faith whereby we are juftified, which "worketh by love," which “purifieth the heart;" and he who hath this faith, fhall affuredly be faved. There is alfo a faith, or believing, which produces none of thefe effects; which a man may have, and having no more, is not juftified, nor can be faved. Thus it is faid of Simon the magician, that he believed," when he was " in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity;" and therefore did not believe with that faith which " purifieth the heart." We read also of many †, who, on feeing the miracles of Jefus, "believed on his name;" but "he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what was in man." They did not believe on him as thofe do, who thereon "receive power to become the fons of God 1." Some, alfo, hearing the word, “rẻceive it with joy; believing for awhile, but have no root §;" and faith without a root in the heart will not justify; for "with the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs." And thus it is with them who fhall сгу, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name?" who were, nevertheless, always workers of iniquity ¶.

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This faith is usually called Hiftorical, not merely because the biftory of the Scripture is the object of it, for it refpects the truth of the word and the promises of the Gofpel in general; but because the nature of that affent, in which it confifts, is the fame that we give to any historical circumftances which are credibly related

to us.

This faith hath various degrees and effects. All faith is an affent upon teftimony; and divine faith is an affent upon divine teftimony: according as this testi-· mony is received, fo are the degrees of this faith. Some receive it merely on human motives, and its agreement with their reason: this affent is a mere natural act of their understanding, which is the lowest degree of historical faith. Others, by means of fome fpiritual illumination, difcover the evidences of divine truth on which it is founded, and their affent is firmer and more operative.

The effects are alfo various. In some it hath very little or no influence on their will, affections, or converfation; they profefs to believe the Gofpel, and yet live in all manner of fin. This is that dead-faith of which St. James fpeaks; it is like a mere carcafs, without life or motion; it is an affent of the fame kind

which devils themfelves are compelled to give, and this faith abounds in the world. In other perfons, it produces various degrees of influence on the affections, and on the life, as reprefented in the feveral forts of ground into which the feed of the word is caft. But this faith, in its utmost improvement, is ufually called a temporary faith; for it is neither permanent against oppofition, nor will it bring any to eternal reft *.

This, men may have and not be juftified; yea, St. James affirms, that no man can be juftified by it, It may, as we have faid, produce great effects, which though not such as are peculiar to justifying faith, are fuch that the perfons in whom they are wrought, may

* Matt. xiii. 21.

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and ought to be looked upon, in the judgment of charity, as true believers. This is that faith which may be alone. We are juftified by faith alone; but we are not justified by that faith which can be alone. And I mention this to obviate that calumny, which some would fix on this doctrine, and who reproach us as Solifidians, Antinomians ;—adversaries to the neceflity of obedience and good works. Moft of those who produce this charge, know it in their own confciences to be falfe; but this is their way of managing controverfy: they can aver any thing that ferves their caufe, to the great scandal of religion. If by Solifidians they mean those who believe that faith alone is, on our part, the inftrument of Juftification-all the prophets and apostles were fo, as shall be proved; but, if they mean those who affirm that the faith whereby we are juftified is alone-separate, or separable, from the principle and fruit of holy obedience, they must find them out themselves: we know nothing of them, for we allow no faith to be juftifying, but what virtually and radically contains in it univerfal obedience, as the effect is in the cause, and the fruit in the root.

In our confideration of the fpecial nature of justifying faith, we fhall inquire into four things. : 1. The Causes of it on the part of God. 2. What is previously required unto it, in us. 3. The proper Object of it. 4. Its proper, and peculiar Effects.

1. The doctrine of the Causes of faith, as to its origin in the divine will, is so large, and fo connected with that of the way of the operation of divine grace in converfion, which I have handled elsewhere, that I fhall not here infilt upon it. For as it cannot be treated of in a few words according to its weight and worth; fo to confider the subject largely, would divert us from our prefent argument. We fhall therefore inquire,

2. What is required, on our part, previously to our believing unto Juftification of life. And I fay there is fuppofed, in all in whom this faith is wrought, the work

of

of the law, in the conviction of fin, whereby the finner hath a practical underftanding of the nature of fin, its guilt and punishment, with his utter inability to deliver himself out of that ftate. This we affirm to be antecedently necessary to justifying faith. For

Without this, the true nature of faith can never be understood; for Juftification is the deliverance of a convinced finner, whofe "mouth is stopped;" who is guilty before God," and "fhut up under fin;" a fenfe, therefore, of his condition is required unto believing. Hence one defines faith to be " the flight of a penitent finner to the mercy of God in Chrift."

The order, relation, and use of the Law and Gospel, evince the neceffity of this conviction. That which any man is first concerned with, as to his eternal condition, is the Law. This is firft presented to the foul, with its terms of righteoufnefs and life, and its curfe in cafe of failure. Without this the Gofpel cannot be understood, nor its grace duly valued; for it is the revelation of God's way of relieving men from the curfe of the law. Wherefore true faith, being evangelical in its principle, rule, and object, it cannot be acted by us, but on a fuppofition of the effect of the law in the conviction of fin.

This, alfo, our Saviour intimates in the Gospel ; for he calls to him only those who are weary and heavy laden;" affirming that "the whole need not a physician, but the fick ;" and that he came to call, not the righteous, but finners to repentance:" meaning, not those who were really finners, as all men are, but fuch as were convinced of fin, burdened with it, and feeking after deliverance. Such were the perfons to whom St. Peter propofed the promise of the Gospel; they were "pierced to the heart," and exclaimed

What shall we do?" Such alfo was the ftate of the Jailer, to whom St. Paul propofed falvation by Chrift, as what he was to believe for his deliverance.

The

The fate of Adam, and God's dealing with him therein, is the best representation of the order of these things. As he was after the fall, so are vé. He was utterly loft by fin, and convinced both of its nature and effects, by the opening of his eyes."-This was the communication to his mind, of a sense of the nature, guilt, and effects of fin; this filled him with fhame and fear; against the former he provided by figleaves; against the latter by hiding himself. In this condition, God, by an immediate inquifition into the matter of fact, fharpened the conviction by the addition of his own teftimony, and caft him actually under the curfe of the law, in a juridical denunciation of it. In this forlorn condition, God proposed the promise of redemption by Chrift; and this was the object of that faith whereby he was to be juftified.

The Effects of this conviction, with their refpea to our Juftification, may alfo be briefly confidered; and thefe are forrow, fear, and a defire of deliverance. It is impoffible that any one fhould be really convinced of fin, but that a diflike of it, forrow for it, and fhame on account of it will enfue. Fear of punishment will follow; for conviction respects not only the preceptive part of the law, but alfo the fentence and. curie of it; wherefore, as by faith we fly from the wrath to come," where there is no apprehenfion of that wrath, there can be no ground for believing. Defire of deliverance then becomes unavoidable; and difcovers itself by care, folicitude and reftleffnefs of foul. These internal acts of the mind will also produce feveral external duties, as abstinence from known fins; for thofe who begin to find it is an evil and bitter thing to fin against God, cannot but endeavour to ab ftain from it. The duties of religious worship, in prayer and hearing the word, will be diligently regarded; and

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